Sec. Foxx joins Florida congressmen to discuss state's TIGER grant

On September 13 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx joined four members of Congress, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Ted Deutch D-(FL), Lois Frankel (D-FL) and Patrick Murphy (D-FL) and other local leaders to talk about how the South Florida Freight and Passenger Rail Enhancement project will help South Florida.

"These TIGER projects are the best argument you can make for investment in our transportation infrastructure," said Secretary Foxx. "The South Florida Freight and Passenger Rail Enhancement project will better connect the area's two major freight rail corridors, which will leave more capacity for the tens of millions of people traveling between South Florida's cities and Orlando every year. Anything we can do to give people more transportation options is a plus."

"This project is a true partnership between the public and private sector and I'm so thrilled Secretary Foxx joined us in South Florida to talk about how this grant will help promote connectivity and create the opportunity to move people seamlessly between the downtowns in South Florida," said. Rep. Wasserman Schultz. "This announcement is another example of the Obama Administration's commitment to an economy built to last, by creating jobs through investments in transportation and infrastructure."

This public-private partnership project plans to connect rail corridors in South Florida and make traveling more efficient among CSX, Florida East Coast (FEC) Railway, Tri-Rail Commuter Rail and the planned All-Aboard Florida Intercity Rail. Florida Department of Transportation has committed $30 million toward this project, with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, FEC and CSX contributing toward the project, as well. The U.S. TIGER grant will help fill the funding gap to make the project possible.